Michigan Amateur Field Trial Weekend

This weekend I headed up to Gladwin to hang out with the guys and run some dogs and be part of the Michigan Amateur Field Trial. I was a little apprehensive with Erin being due with our first born in less than a couple of weeks and always claiming that tonight is going to be the night, which makes for a nervous mix without cell service on the Meredith grounds. Everything worked out ok and all was well though; the bun was still in the oven. I drove up Saturday morning and watched some of the puppy braces, and then helped add some course to it afterwards for the upcoming Puppy Classic. After that it was near dinner time at Alibi Hall. The next morning we got up and worked dogs and then had lunch and waited to run in the derby stake, along with watching the thermometer raise to a nice hot and very dry 70 degrees out when we cut them loose; a good 40 degrees warmer then when I got up. I was braced with Dave Terhaar and both dogs took off through the pole timber and laid to the front in and out of bell range for the majority of the course. At about 27 minutes Coco had went off to the right and as we were approaching the end of the course she was found standing beautifully on the edge of a water hole. As we went in for the flush all was in order and woodcock was produced and we had a broke find tallied. This was good for second place in the derby in the 20 dog stake, which was good considering the weather and the course we were on, only seeing the lone woodcock at the end. We will probably go up next weekend for the Ruffed Grouse Trial and then call it a spring as the baby should be on its way by then, maybe going to a couple of quail trials in May. Hope everyone is having a great spring.